Again, it has been a long time since I have updated, but I think that just means I am so busy and having such a fabulous time here in Germany (and traveling throughout Europe). Which is a good thing, since I only have 40 days....40 DAYS!...left here. Wow.
Since I last updated (March: The Month of Conferences), classes have started up again. This semester I am taking my German class and EU Integration for credit, as well as EU External Relations and Statebuilding for "fun." Along with working for a professor (check out his blog at www.philippmueller.de for some interesting reading on Shaping Network Society and Web 2.0), I am also keeping busy with my Fulbright research which is culminating with a survey assessing German students' perceptions of the status of the transatlantic relationship. Hopefully the responses will give me some insight for my final paper, which is coming along quite nicely!
Since I last updated (March: The Month of Conferences), classes have started up again. This semester I am taking my German class and EU Integration for credit, as well as EU External Relations and Statebuilding for "fun." Along with working for a professor (check out his blog at www.philippmueller.de for some interesting reading on Shaping Network Society and Web 2.0), I am also keeping busy with my Fulbright research which is culminating with a survey assessing German students' perceptions of the status of the transatlantic relationship. Hopefully the responses will give me some insight for my final paper, which is coming along quite nicely!
As the title of this post indicates, I recently took a trip to Stockholm, Sweden. My favorite German friend Laura and I flew to Stockholm on May 21 for a weekend of sightseeing in the city and a trip to Stig and Gunilla Boman's (extended family) summer home on the island of Runmarö in the Stockholm archipelago. Our first full day in Stockholm was spent touring a vast protion of the city. To get our bearings, we first went up in the Stadshuset (city hall) tower. The Stadshuset is where the Nobel Prize banquet is held. Fancy.
(view from Stadshuset)
(view from Stadshuset)
We then continued around the 14 islands of the city and saw the historic center of Stockholm, Gamla Stan. Stockholm emerged here in the 13th century. A highlight was Marten Trotzigs Grand, the narrowest lane in Stockholm, less than 1m wide! Also on Gamla Stan is the Kungliga Slottet, the winter home of the Swedish Royal family. Although we did not go in, I did notice that the guards were all tall and blonde :) We also stopped on the island of Storkyrkan to see the Royal Cathedral of Stockholm, which was consecrated in 1306. This is the church where the princess will be married in 2010--so we had to get our picture by the altar!
(Laura and I being Princesses for just a moment!)
The island of Riddarholmen is home to the Riddarholmskyrkan, the church for the nobility. The black iron spire was quite striking in the Stockholm skyline. The church dates back to the 13th century, when it was a Franciscan monastery. During the Protestant Reformation, the Lutherans sent the monks running, and the church became the burial place for Swedish monarchs. Almost every Swedish royalty has been buried there from 1290 to 1950.
(Riddarholmskyrkan)
(Vasa Warship)
After a busy day of sightseeing, Laura and returned to Stig and Gunilla's city apartment where Gunilla had a delicious meal waiting for us. Afterwards, Gunilla showed us a slideshow she had prepared of pictures from when my mom visited Stockholm in 1981, their visit to the U.S. in 1988, and my Grandparents (my Grandfather Bill Johnson is Stig's cousin) visit in 1995. It was so amazing to see these pictures, especially the pictures of my Grandpa who I miss dearly.
After a good nights sleep, Laura and I woke up early on Saturday and went to Skansen, an open-air museum that depicts life in Sweden in the past. Highlights included Scandinavian animals such as elks, reindeer, wolves, and bears (Laura had to pull me away from the baby bears). Buildings throughout the large park showed how life in Sweden was in the different areas. Another highlight was the fresh baked Swedish goods at the Bakery. Yummm.
(Garten homes in Stockholm from World War I and II)
(me with a Dala horse in Skansen...of course a Dala horse was my tourist purchase in Stockholm)
The rest of Saturday we spend walking around the shopping district, popping into eclectic stores and of course browsing through NK, the famous department store. Thankfully, Laura and I both agreed to skip the world's largest Ikea...the Ikea in Erfurt is biggest enough for me. After we returned from shopping, we immediately headed out Runmarö island to spend the night and next day at Stig and Gunilla's summer home. After a T-bana ride, a bus ride, and a ferry ride, we made it to the island, and I finally got to meet Stig (well, I met him when I was three, but since I do not have the memory of my brother, I consider this my first introduction). On our way to the island, Edwin, the son of Stig and Gunilla's daughter Sara, joined us in the bus.
(me, Gunilla, and Edvin on our way to the island)
Although shy at first, Edvin, 4, quickly warmed up to Laura and I, and soon he was bossing us around, and we were quite obliging. After a lovely dinner, Stig showed Laura and I around the island, pointing out the houses where his relatives (on the other side) live. His family has been on the island since the 17th century.
(dock at Gatan, the village where Stig and Gunilla's house is)
Our tour took us to the Stadmuseum for a quick lunch, and a tour through the museum, which included a cool exhibit on Swedish film. Our first day of sightseeing ended with a trip to the Vasa Museet, which is home to a warship that sank in the Stockholm harbor during its maiden voyage in 1628. It was salvaged and preserved in 1961, 333 years later. The reconstructed vessel, over 95 percent of it original, sits in the museum. About 25 remains were found inside the warship, and scientists and historians have been able to piece together life stories for these individuals...very cool.
(Vasa Warship)
After a busy day of sightseeing, Laura and returned to Stig and Gunilla's city apartment where Gunilla had a delicious meal waiting for us. Afterwards, Gunilla showed us a slideshow she had prepared of pictures from when my mom visited Stockholm in 1981, their visit to the U.S. in 1988, and my Grandparents (my Grandfather Bill Johnson is Stig's cousin) visit in 1995. It was so amazing to see these pictures, especially the pictures of my Grandpa who I miss dearly.
After a good nights sleep, Laura and I woke up early on Saturday and went to Skansen, an open-air museum that depicts life in Sweden in the past. Highlights included Scandinavian animals such as elks, reindeer, wolves, and bears (Laura had to pull me away from the baby bears). Buildings throughout the large park showed how life in Sweden was in the different areas. Another highlight was the fresh baked Swedish goods at the Bakery. Yummm.
(Garten homes in Stockholm from World War I and II)
(me with a Dala horse in Skansen...of course a Dala horse was my tourist purchase in Stockholm)The rest of Saturday we spend walking around the shopping district, popping into eclectic stores and of course browsing through NK, the famous department store. Thankfully, Laura and I both agreed to skip the world's largest Ikea...the Ikea in Erfurt is biggest enough for me. After we returned from shopping, we immediately headed out Runmarö island to spend the night and next day at Stig and Gunilla's summer home. After a T-bana ride, a bus ride, and a ferry ride, we made it to the island, and I finally got to meet Stig (well, I met him when I was three, but since I do not have the memory of my brother, I consider this my first introduction). On our way to the island, Edwin, the son of Stig and Gunilla's daughter Sara, joined us in the bus.
(me, Gunilla, and Edvin on our way to the island)Although shy at first, Edvin, 4, quickly warmed up to Laura and I, and soon he was bossing us around, and we were quite obliging. After a lovely dinner, Stig showed Laura and I around the island, pointing out the houses where his relatives (on the other side) live. His family has been on the island since the 17th century.
(dock at Gatan, the village where Stig and Gunilla's house is)
(Stig showing me around)
(beautiful sunset off Runmarö)
The rest of our time on the island was spent eating delicious food, including a typical Swedish lunch of Herring and a wonderful cake Stig had made for his Grandson's baptism, trying to figure out the outhouse (no toilets or running water! the house is under construction), and exploring the island on a bike tour. The highlight for me, though, was spending time with Stig and Gunilla, and little Edvin. Although Edvin doesn't speak English (except "Hello," "Good morning," "My name is Edvin" and counting to 20...which is pretty fantastic for a 4 year old), and we didn't speak any Swedish, he quickly learned how to get us to do what he wanted. With hand motions and "kom, kom," he was able to wrap us around his little finger. Needless to say, after a few hours with Edvin, Laura and I were completely worn out.
(Edvin looking for "Glass" in the sand)
(Edvin and I)
We left the island on Sunday, and stopped at Sara and Ola's house to drop off Edvin, where we met Vidar, their second son. After a tour of the new hosue they are building, we headed back to Stockholm for a delicious dinner and an early bedtime. Early Monday morning, Laura and I headed back to the airport and arrived back in Berlin around 8am. I think the exhaustion we felt when we finally got back to Erfurt is telling of the fabulous trip we had to Stockholm, Sweden. Thanks Stig and Gunilla for the wonderful weekend!
(beautiful sunset off Runmarö)The rest of our time on the island was spent eating delicious food, including a typical Swedish lunch of Herring and a wonderful cake Stig had made for his Grandson's baptism, trying to figure out the outhouse (no toilets or running water! the house is under construction), and exploring the island on a bike tour. The highlight for me, though, was spending time with Stig and Gunilla, and little Edvin. Although Edvin doesn't speak English (except "Hello," "Good morning," "My name is Edvin" and counting to 20...which is pretty fantastic for a 4 year old), and we didn't speak any Swedish, he quickly learned how to get us to do what he wanted. With hand motions and "kom, kom," he was able to wrap us around his little finger. Needless to say, after a few hours with Edvin, Laura and I were completely worn out.
(Edvin looking for "Glass" in the sand)
(Edvin and I)We left the island on Sunday, and stopped at Sara and Ola's house to drop off Edvin, where we met Vidar, their second son. After a tour of the new hosue they are building, we headed back to Stockholm for a delicious dinner and an early bedtime. Early Monday morning, Laura and I headed back to the airport and arrived back in Berlin around 8am. I think the exhaustion we felt when we finally got back to Erfurt is telling of the fabulous trip we had to Stockholm, Sweden. Thanks Stig and Gunilla for the wonderful weekend!
